Some subscribers to TIPS and TeachEdPsych might be interested in a discussion-list post "Re: pedagogical reform in an introductory biology class, with nod to PER" [Hake (2011)].
The abstract reads: ********************************************* ABSTRACT: PhysLrnR's Krishna Chowdary in a post "pedagogical reform in an introductory biology class, with nod to PER" commented that (paraphrasing): (a) "It would have been nice if the 'Chronicle of Higher Education' report 'Low-Cost Instructional Changes Can Cut Achievement Gap in Intro Biology, Scholars Say' [Glenn (2011)] and the 'Science' article 'Increased Structure and Active Learning Reduce the Achievement Gap in Introductory Biology' [Haak et al. (2011)] had made more clear the previous work in Physics Education Research (PER)," and (b) "Glenn's statement that 'The instructors did not want to turn to a multiple-choice (MC) test format because they were committed to helping students learn high-level problem-solving and analysis, not simple memorization of facts' contradicts the fact that 'MC physics concept tests/clicker questions span the range from simple memorization all the way to high-level synthesis, analysis, and evaluation." I agree with Chowdary and provide relevant academic references. ********************************************* To access the complete 23 kB post please click on <http://bit.ly/kIoYHz>. Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References which Recognize the Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII) <rrh...@earthlink.net> <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake> <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi> <http://HakesEdStuff.blogspot.com> <http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake> "There is substantial evidence that scientific teaching in the sciences, i.e., teaching that employs instructional strategies that encourage undergraduates to become actively engaged in their own learning, can produce levels of understanding, retention and transfer of knowledge that are greater than those resulting from traditional lecture/lab classes. But widespread acceptance by university faculty of new pedagogies and curricular materials still lies in the future.. . . . We conclude that widespread promotion and adoption of the elements of scientific teaching by university science departments could have profound effects in promoting a scientifically literate society and a reinvigorated research enterprise." Robert DeHaan (2005) "Physics educators have led the way in developing and using objective tests to compare student learning gains in different types of courses, and chemists, biologists, and others are now developing similar instruments. These tests provide convincing evidence that students assimilate new knowledge more effectively in courses including active, inquiry-based, and collaborative learning, assisted by information technology, than in traditional courses." Wood & Gentile (2003) REFERENCES [URL's shortened by <http://bit.ly/> and accessed on 05 June 2011.] DeHaan, R.L. 2005. "The Impending Revolution in Undergraduate Science Education," Journal of Science Education and Technology 14(2): 253-269; abstract online at <http://bit.ly/cqIK1w>. Hake, R.R. 2011. "Re: pedagogical reform in an introductory biology class, with nod to PER," online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at <http://bit.ly/kIoYHz>. Post of 5 Jun 2011 15:02:52 -0700 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to various discussion lists and are also on my blog "Hake'sEdStuff" at <http://bit.ly/miDgSz>. Wood, W.B., & J.M. Gentile. 2003. "Teaching in a research context," Science 302: 1510; 28 November; an abstract is online at <http://bit.ly/9qGR6m>. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@jab.org. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=10857 or send a blank email to leave-10857-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
